This looks like a really good conference. I’m going (and not just because I am speaking). Click on logo to get to the web page

The Conversation is returning- a gathering that will continue to curate space for cutting-edge, innovative, even risky conversations about children, young people and the church. We are still asking the question: How can we change the dominant church culture from ‘conquering and keeping’ to ‘nurturing and releasing’ the children and young people in our communities?

The Conversation brings people together who are open to change; to reimagine God’s good news for this generation and all generations together, who want children and young people to come into a life-enhancing, transforming and life-long encounter with Christ. We are so excited about our second event that will enable us to dig deeper into our underlying themes of encounter and rhythm as we explore how faith is formed, how we tell stories and how what it means to be an intergenerational community of faith.

The Conversation won’t provide answers or ‘the next new thing to do’ – together our conversation will take us deeper that we might be:
More open
More inclusive
More able to hear
More reliant on God’s grace
More like the body of Christ (without any missing limbs)

We are a friendly, welcoming church at the heart of the small town of Hungerford in West Berkshire. We are looking for a part-time (14 hours per week) youth worker to work mainly with ages 11 – 16. This is a new post and we’re looking for someone who will develop the role, building partnerships with members of the church and local community. There are three main areas of work:

1) Discipleship and pastoral support for young members of the church family, principally through our existing Youth Group.

2) Outreach to the wider community.

3) Work in the local school, subject to agreement with the head teacher.

We’re looking someone with a track record of delivering youthwork, preferably with experience of working in a church or Christian organisation. An Occupational Requirement exists for the post-holder to be a Christian in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

This post is for 1 year in the first instance with the potential for renewal. Rate of pay is £11 per hour; 14 hours a week. We are offering 14 days paid holiday per year, a contribution towards a pension scheme and support for training and development.

The Frontier Youth Trust is home for Pioneer Youth Work. We want to see practice increase and improve on the ground. Click here for 101 risks that you could take to develop your youth work. If you want to discuss taking more risks with your youth work contact us at [email protected]

Harry n Chris who claim to be the best Comedy Rap Jazz Duo in the UK are coming to Oxford as part of their UK tour. You or your young people may well have encountered them at a Christian festival or seeing them on the Russell Howard Show, or hearing them on Radio 2. This would be a great outing to enjoy the hilarious and feel-good talents of Harry n Chris. 4th October 2018, North Wall, Oxford

Loving this interview with Neuro Scientist, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, on the teenage brain. She says:

“Until about 15 or 20 years ago,” she says, “we just didn’t know that the brain develops at all within the teenage years.” Until then, it was assumed that teenage behaviour was almost entirely down to hormonal changes in puberty, but brain scans and psychological experiments have now found that adolescence is a critical period of neurological change, much of which is responsible for the unique characteristics of adolescent behaviour. Far from being a defective or inferior version of an adult brain, the adolescent mind is both unique and – to Blakemore – beautiful. “Teenagers,” she says tenderly, “are brilliant.”